Conveyer mechanism



H. o. IRMSCHER GONVEYER MECHANISM Filed NOV. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. HAM/5 CIR/750152 BY Patented Apr. 30, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CON VEYER MECHANISM Application November 25, 1943, Serial No. 511,668 2 Claims. (o1. 214-17) The present invention relates to filler apparatus for feeding fluent material in manufacturing packages and the like, and more particularly is directed to automatically operated mechanism for delivering or feeding to packaging machines, tea, coffee or the like, in required quantities from a suitable bulk source.

In the manufacture of filled packages, such as tea balls and the like, in large scale production, quantities of tea or other filling material must be intermittently fed to the packaging machine from a bulk supply source while preserving at all times the fluent conditions of the fil n materialhe present invention provides an improved mechanism to successfully give results of the character described adapted for use in connection with super high-speed packaging machine, such as fully disclosed in applicants copending application, Serial No. 450,289, filed July 9, 1942, for Infusion package manufacture.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a mechanism of the character described which shall comprise relatively few and simple parts that are easily assembled and incorporated in the construction of automatic machines for making complete infusion packages, or the like, which shall maintain a supply of filler material in quantity required with certainty and reliability, which shall operate smoothly an be substantially free from vibration, which shall be inexpensive to construct yet capable of supplying the requirement of large capacity super high-speed packaging machines, and shall be practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects and advantages will .be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts Which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described and. of which the scope of the application will be indicated in the following claims. In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one illustrative embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a conveyer supply-filler feed apparatus constructed to embody the invention as applied to a super highspeed infusion package manufacturing machine, only a. fragmentary portion of the latter being shown.

Fig. 2 is enlarged cross section view of a fragmentary portion of the improved conveyer mechanism showing an automatic control for the supplyfiller feed.

* thereto from a suitable source.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the electrical system, circuit and motor control of the improved conveyer system shown partly diagrammatic.

Referring to the drawings, l0 denotes a. super high-speed fully automatic machine for makin complete infusion packages, such as tea balls, and the like article, in large scale production. Only a fragmentary portion of said machine H) is shown in Fig. 1 with the improved conveyer filler feed apparatus 1 l constructed to embody the invention incorporated in the connection with such machine [0. The latter may be of any well known construction, but as here shown i like that shown and described in the copending applications referred to above.

As seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the portion of machine l0 shown has asuitablebase frame support [0a which may carry on a horizontal top Hlb thereof, in the manner fully disclosed in detail in said aforementioned application, means for feeding a web of heat-sealing filter paper W or similar suitable sheet material continuously Said web W is folded longitudinally as it passes to the machine ID to form a closed bottom B and open top 0. The folded web W is gripped transverse the length thereof between continuously moving pairs of uniformly closely spaced pincer spring pressed jaws Illc of machine If], the jaws Illc being pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from each other and advanced through the machine ID by any suitable interconnecting means. The elfective opening and closing movement of the pincer jaws We are controlled by suitable rollers Hid and cam rails Ille rigidly secured to extend along the'machine top'lilb,

The business ends of jaws lilo are seen to be fork-shaped to firmly grip the folded web W about the lower ends of spaced chain-linked hollow funnel members or spouts Iilf inserted down into the folded web open top 0 in the successive bag sections M, which extend between the forked portion of the pairs of jaws I'ilc. Said funnel members If by suitable arrangement are caused to be successively entered into and retracted upwardly from the underlying bag section M as they advance through the machine l0.

When the bag sections M reach the position in alignment with spaced chutes 20a of a feed measuring mechanism 20, the aligned spouts Hi) are then in position under chutes 20a for delivering a charge of tea T or the like infusion material thereto. The feed measuring mechanism 20 may be of any well known construction, and as here shown may be like that fully described in another of applicant's copending application Serial No. 486,196, filed May 8, 1943, for Filler apparatus for measuring a feed supply in packaging fluent products except as hereinafter pointed out.

The improved feed supply apparatus l as constructed and used to embody this invention will now be described.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 apparatus I i may include a hopper l2 of adequate capacity from which a supply of the fluent material, such as tea T, to be packaged in the form of teaballs, is automatically drawn as required for the continuous operation of the machine l0. Said hopper l2 may be positioned just above the level of floor F so as to be convenient for dumping from cases bulk material T therein, said hopper l2 being provided with downwardly tapering side walls to permit the fluent material T to flow by gravity to the bottom I211 thereof.

The hopper bottom |2a may be seated to empty the fluent material .T into the inlet of a suitably constructed elevator-conveyer l3 which has a continuous tight fitting casing |3a enclosing chain-driven flights ISI) for elevating quantities of the material T passing from the hopper |2 to the discharge end |3c of the conveyer l3 above and into a drop chute I4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said conveyer flights |3b are driven in the well understood manner, as for example, through a sprocket and chain drive I311, suitable speed reduction means |3e and electric motor E. Said speed reduction means |3e and motor E, together with an electric starter relay R for the motor E which may be of any well known construction, are mounted on angle cross bars I3 secured to midportions of the conveyer casing I3a.

The drop chute M, as seen from Figs. 1 and 2 forms a quantity control supply chamber, the bottom of said chamber l4 passing the fluent material T through the measuring mechanism 28 and hence to the chutes 20a.

Starting with the chamber l4 empty, and with asupply of bulk fluent material T dumped into the hopper l2, the motor E which may be connected to a suitable electric power source in the well understood manner may be started for running the conveyor elevator l3 to deliver the fluent material T picked up'by the chain-driven flights |3b within casing |3a to the discharge end I30 and hence to the drop chute chamber 4. Should the fluent material T in passing through chamber I4 exceed the quantity being removed by the measuring mechanism and pile up to accumu late to the high level L in the chamber I4, there a is provided for limiting further piling up, a diaphragm wall portion in the drop chute forming said chamber l4. Said diaphragm wall portion 30 actuates an electric micro-switch that controls through relay R the electric power circuit for starting and stopping the motor E.

The diaphragm wall portion 30 as seen from Figs, 2 and 3 preferably is installed in a wall secs tion opening 3|, of said chamber M, the plane of which slopes at less than 90 in angular relation to a horizontal plane so that any fluent material T piled up in chamber M against the diaphragm wall portion 30 will exert pressure thereagain'st the slope of said wall portion 3|] preferably being greater than the angle of repose of said fluent material T, that is, about Said opening 3| is seen to extend across the entire width of the chamber l4, said diaphragm wall.

portion 30 being constructed to comprise-a pair of plates 32 between which is secured a flexible fabric or sheet material 33 by suitable means such as screws 34. The fabric sheet material 33 extends beyond the perimeter of said plates 32 and has the edge border portions 33a thereof secured to the rim of chamber wall opening 3| by a frame 35 and screws 36 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The micro-switch 49 may be mounted on a bracket 4| from a relatively fixed wall portionof chamber I4 spaced from the wall portion diaphragm 30, and is provided with rigid arm 40a on which at 4% is pivoted by one end 40c, a lever Add. The free end of said lever 40d carries an adjustable bolt Me which contacts the outer surface of the diaphragm wall portion plate 32. A mid-portion of said lever 40d adjacent the pivoted end 400 contacts a pressure push bar 401 which operates the micro-switch d0. Thus by adjusting the bolt 40c any pressure on the diaphragm wall portion 39 due to the piling up of fluent material T in chamber It will be transmitted through the push bar 40 to actuate the micro-switch 40 thereby opening the circuit to the motor E and stopping the conveyer and delivcry of fluent material T from the bulk supply in the hopper |2 to the chamber 4.

The normal capacity of the delivery of fluent material T by the conveyer is made greater'than that required for the measured filling operation by mechanism 20 so that the chamber M can be automatically kept from overflowing, the control being constructed and arranged so that the microswitch 4|! cuts olf the electric power completely when the pile of fluent material T reaches the high level L and the power is again restored to permit operation of the conveyer I3 when the pile of fluent material T reaches the lower level J, the level of the lowest end of the diaphragm wall portion 30. V

It is thus seen that there is provided a mechanism in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a filler apparatus of a high speed packaging machine for feeding charges of fluent material to bags from a bulk supply source comprising a chamber from which the charges are drawn spaced from said supply source, means for moving the fluent material from the supply source to the chamber including a motor drive, the chamber having a wall structure formed with a flexible sectional area extending substantially the width of the chamber in an angularrelation of less than to a horizontal plane and more thanthe angle of repose of said material to'provide a gravity operated diaphragm, a micro-switch actuated by said diaphragm and connected in circuit with the power operating the motor drive for controlling the accumulations of fluent material in said chamber, including a lever pivoted at one end from a relatively stationary chamber wall portion support having the lever mid-portion adjacent the pivoted end operate the micro-switch, and means adjustable to correspond to deflections of the diaphragm carried by the free end of the lever for contacting the diaphragmwhereby gravity pressure of the fluent material accumulated in the chamber exerted on the diaphragm actuates the micro-switch, said flexible sectional area forming the diaphragm being secured to provide a tight closure extending over an opening in said chamber wall structure.

2. In a filler apparatus of a high speed packaging machine having a chamber from which charges of fluent material are drawn spaced from a supply source of such material and an electrical motor driven means for moving the fluent material from the supply source to the chamber, said chamber formed with a deflectable diaphragm wall portion extending substantially the width of the chamber in an angular relation of less than 90 to a horizontal plane and more than the angle of repose of said material to provide a gravity operated diaphragm, micro-switch actuated by movements of said diaphragm and connected in circuit with the power operating the motor driven means for controlling the accumulations of said material at a determined level in the chamber, said diaphragm forming a tight closure extending over an openingin the wall structure of said chamber, a lever pivoted from a relatively stationary portion of the chamber wall structure adjacent said opening and interposed between the micrmsWitchand the diaphragm, said lever carrying an adjustable means for varying the effective operation of the micro-switch to correspond to predetermined levels of the material accumulated in the chamber.

HANS O. IRMSCHER. 

